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Auckland Council to continue waste collection services

But there are some compliance regulations

Venkat Raman
Auckland, March 28, 2020

Parul Sood, General Manager (Waste Solutions), Auckland Council.

Auckland Council will continue its waste collection services but will follow the guidelines prescribed by the Health Ministry as a part of the Covid-19 lockdown period.

Compliance of these guidelines by all residents is also imperative and enforceable.

Parul Sood, General Manager (Waste Solutions) said that Auckland’s kerbside rubbish, recycling and food scraps collections are considered essential services.

Collections should be placed kerbside by 7 am on the prescribed day of collection, she said.

“As more people park on the road, make sure your bins are visible and are not blocked by vehicles. The collectors should be able to access your bin using the automated technology as much as possible to reduce unnecessary contact,” she said.

Rubbish bags

Ms Sood said that household on-property inorganics collections have been suspended during the lockdown period.

Rubbish bags and pay as you throw bin tags can be purchased from most supermarkets for areas that have this service. Those who do not have access to a tag, may call (09) 3010101 to make arrangements, she said.

Image from Auckland Council website

Some dos and don’ts

An Auckland Council notification mentioned the following:

Your pay as you throw tag will be left on the bin and not taken off by the collector. You must remove this yourself when you put on a fresh tag on for the next collection. This is to minimise the contact our collectors have with your bins each day.

Anyone with a food scraps bin should avoid placing tissues in them. These, and other hygiene products, should be bagged and placed in rubbish bins.

Wipe down your bin handles and wash your hands after you have touched your bin.

If you are on a property without a bin, you can request one by calling (09) 3010101, but no bin removals, exchanges or repairs can be done during the lockdown period.

The Waitākere, Waiheke, and Aotea Great Barrier Island Transfer Stations are closed to the general public and open only for licensed waste collectors providing essential services. Community recycling centres are also closed.

Ms Sood said that these adjustments will allow the waste team to concentrate on the most critical collection services.

“We are all grateful to the drivers and team members who are working around the clock to make sure that essential services are maintained safely at this time,” she said.

Recycling services continue

Ms Sood said that the process for emptying recycling bins is automated and hence there is significantly less human touch involved in the collection process.

“We handle much higher volumes than smaller cities. Therefore, our sorting facilities are able to meet the physical distancing requirements to operate safely in indoor work environments. We also have a larger workforce to rely on at this crucial time, which enables us to provide this service if part of the workforce is unable to work. We urge Aucklanders to place their bins in an easily accessible location and ensure they are not blocked by vehicles,” he said.

Aucklanders at home can improve their rates of recycling by playing the “recycle right” game to learn which items are accepted in our region.

Minimising waste

Ms Sood said that Auckland Council encourages people who are compost-curious to learn online from the Council’s community partner, ‘the Compost Collective.’

Their facilitators are still fully available on social media to answer questions and provide virtual support. This is also a good time to minimise food waste by eating the parts of food you may have passed up before, like broccoli stalks, bread crusts, and potato skins. We have a free cookbook, and there are recipes and videos available from Love Food Hate Waste,” she said.

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